


I can take care of my self

by FBI



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-23 11:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2546696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FBI/pseuds/FBI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's fluff, like seriously cotton ball level fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I can take care of my self

She’d only been running in to grab a few things; bread, milk, and maybe wine. No, definitely wine, it had been a long day. Olivia meandered aimlessly down the aisles, she didn’t have a set list of things she needed, and she was driving more by what she saw and decided she wanted. Like that bottle of wine, and bar of chocolate; week from hell, she deserved it. She reached the fridge at the back of the shop and grabbed a carton of milk and dropped it in her basket, moving the wine to counter balance it. She stretched her back out and rolled her shoulders, sighing when there was a “pop” sound; work had been taxing today, as it was most days, but she was feeling exhausted physically and emotionally. Her heels clacked on the linoleum as she headed down the next isle, bread was on the left and the right was lined with various cans; an elderly woman stood perusing the baked items with a stern expression and further down the aisle a short man stood looking up at the cans. Olivia stood with her feet apart in front of the bread and entered into her near constant internal debate of white or wholemeal bread, she glanced guiltily at the chocolate and wine in her basket and settled on wholemeal. She nestled the loaf between the two bottles and continued down the aisle and stopped next to the man, she’d seen him out of the corner of her eyes standing on his toes trying to reach something on the top shelf; his messy haired head shook as he sighed and glanced down. She’d been weighing up the pros and cons of helping him; he may be grateful, but he could also be annoyed that she insinuated he couldn’t reach. She decided she couldn’t just let him struggle, she reached up and grabbed the can and turned to hand it to him when her mouth dropped in shock.  
“Thank you but I was perfectly capable of reaching that on my- Olivia?” Rafael Barba looked up at her and his expression changed from annoyed to mortified; not without reason. His usual pristine appearance had faded and he stood before her with mussed up hair, a rather snug sweater that looked like it had seen better days and a pair of jeans that he probably should have thrown away a while ago. He was sick, she knew that, he hadn’t been at work for a few days; he’d clearly just thrown on whatever to come out and grab some food. Soup, that was what he was trying to reach; she smiled and handed it to him.  
“How are you feeling, Rafael?” He took the can with a curt nod and placed it in his basket.  
“Awful, but unfortunately my apartment was not as well stocked as I thought it was.” He looked wistfully back up at the top shelf, Olivia looked too and sighed.  
“Do you need something else from up there?” She asked, he looked somewhat embarrassed as he nodded. One of the first things she’s noticed about him was the distinct lack of height, even out of heels she stood a good three inches above him; nobody had ever brought it up when she was around so she didn’t know if he was sensitive about it. She could conclude from today that he was a little sensitive. He pointed to three different cans and she handed them to him in succession. “I could make you real soup if you’re that sick; this canned crap isn’t really great for you.”  
“Nor is wine and chocolate.”   
“Moderation, Rafael, moderation.” She smiled. “Seriously, let me grab some things and I’ll make you soup.”   
“I can’t ask you to do that, Liv.” He started moving off but she stepped around him, blocking him from escaping.  
“Six dollars on vegetables and an hour of my time; it’s not like I’m breaking the bank and wasting my day. Come on.” She pulled his arm and led him through the shop; he grumbled and sniffled but complied. “What are you doing out if you’re still sick?” She picked up a leek and inspected it before putting it in her basket before doing the same thing with a few carrots.  
“Because I needed food. Believe it or not but I do eat.”  
“I know, you never seem to stop.” He rolled his eyes and moved to look at what she was putting in her basket. “I mean why didn’t you just order something.”  
“I wanted soup.” He mumbled; she picked up a few potatoes and dumped them in the basket.  
“You can order soup.” He followed her down towards the checkout, picking his pace up so he didn’t fall behind.  
“I am an adult, I know how to take care of myself.” Rafael snapped; she looked over at him with a stern expression and he smiled sheepishly as he placed his items on the conveyor belt. He greeted the cashier politely; they didn’t seem too enthused, then again they did work in customer service. The cashier put through Rafael’s things and bagged them quickly; taking his money and turning to Olivia, looking impatient at her lack of speed. She quickly moved her things to the register and bagged them as the cashier scanned them through; she offered a polite thank you as the cashier handed over her change and hurried Rafael out of the store.   
“You’re going to have to lead, Rafi, I don’t remember where you live.”  
“Please don’t call me that, and it’s not too far.” Olivia slowed her pace so he wouldn’t fall behind; they walked for several minutes and Olivia gave him a rundown of her day and he listened in that way he did where it seemed like he wasn’t, but his eyes always gave away that he was. They stopped in front of a large lavish building and Rafael greeted the doorman as he passed, Olivia smiled politely as she followed.  
“I always pictured you living in a mansion.”  
“Yes, because there’s so many mansions just sitting in the middle of New York.” He pressed the button on the elevator and turned to face Olivia. “Why?”  
“Two thousand dollar suits don’t come out of inner city apartments.” She stepped into the elevator and Rafael pressed the floor button.   
“This isn’t inner city, Liv; and I only own one or two suits that cost that much. I’m not going to apologise for spoiling myself on occasion.”  
“You don’t sound too sure of the number.” The elevator stopped at Rafael’s floor and he shuffled along the thick carpet and came to a stop outside of a white door with a golden 42; he fished his keys from his pockets and unlocked the door and standing aside to let Olivia enter. She stopped just a little inside and looked around, impressed; she gathered Rafael’s apartment would be impersonal and modern, she was surprised by how homey it was. There were a few photos on the wall and a large painting above a fireplace on the right; a large plush sofa sat with its back facing a giant window overlooking the city and a dark wooden table sat before it, a television on a stand stood in front of the table. There were blankets and cushions all over the sofa, she assumed that was where he’d hunkered down for the few days he’d been off. Two doors lead off from the main room; she assumed one to the kitchen and the other to the bedroom. He urged her to enter the door on the right, it led down a short corridor and opened up on to a large modern kitchen, the cupboards were white and the counters were black and it looked pristine; save for the unwashed dishes, empty takeout boxes and sweet wrappers littering the counter tops.  
“When’s the last time you cleaned up?” She grimaced at the dirty dishes in the sink; Rafael placed his bags on an empty spot on the counter.  
“About three days ago, when I got sick.”   
“How much takeout can you eat in three days?” She placed her own bag next to Rafael’s and turned to face him, he busied himself putting his cans of soup and bags of sweets she didn’t see him pick up into a cupboard.  
“More if I put my mind to it. Did you just come here to insult my lifestyle or were you actually going to do something nice for me?” He smiled; she shrugged apologetically and emptied the ingredients from the bag.   
“Do you have a soup pot, a really big pan?”  
“I’ve lived on my own for a good twenty five years, Liv, I’ve acquired enough kitchen essentials to know what it is.” She rolled her eyes as he went rutting around a cupboard and pulled one out- copper bottomed, of course it was.   
“Have you ever even used this?” She picked at the tag still attached to it.  
“It was a gift, and it’s not like I have the time to cook.” He looked flushed and beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.  
“Are you okay?”  
“I’m sick, Liv.” She tutted and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. “That’s not a reliable way to-“  
“Shut up and go sit down, do you have any cold meds?” He opened a draw by the stove and pulled out a bottle, he shook it and nodded. “Go sit down, take some of those and I’ll make you tea.”  
“I don’t have tea.”  
“Fine coffee, go.” He was about to rebuff but she raised an eyebrow and folded her arms, lips pursed. Rafael ducked his head and retreated to the living room, she sighed and shook her head; she turned back to the kitchen and grimaced again. It’s not that it was dirty, he just clearly hadn’t cleaned or tidied in a while, she opened several cupboards before coming across a hoard of different jars of coffee, eyes widening as she pushed them aside only to find more. Some were empty, others half empty and a good portion of them were still sealed; she pulled out on that was almost empty because she gathered he liked that one. She stood for a good few minutes trying to figure out how his coffee machine worked before realising she didn’t even know how he took his coffee, she tracked back towards the living room.  
“Hey, Rafael, how do y-“ Olivia stopped in the doorway and smiled to herself; Rafael had fallen asleep buried in the pillows of the sofa; he was snoring loudly and murmuring under his breath. She walked over to the couch and pulled one of the blankets over him, before smoothing his hair down and shaking her head fondly. She removed her shoes so they wouldn’t click on the floor and placed them by the front door; she figured it would be fine to just leave him there while she makes soup, he might even appreciate waking up to food. She sighed at the state of the kitchen, it wouldn’t hurt to tidy a little for him; he clearly felt awful and if her own feelings towards a clean house went, he would appreciate the gesture.

Rafael woke up a few hours later to the smell of soup and a throbbing head; he groaned as he sat up, he couldn’t quite remember falling asleep. He also couldn’t remember vacuuming the floor and picking up the wrappers from the coffee table. His head snapped towards the sound of bare feet on wood, Olivia smiled as she approached. She sat next to him on the sofa and pressed her hand to his forehead again.  
“How you feeling?” She brushed her hand over his hair; he looked at her, clearly bemused at how tactile she was being.  
“A-awful.” She frowned and handed him the flu meds from the table and the glass of water she was holding. He popped open the bottle and dropped two into his hand and took the glass from Olivia, he downed them quickly and grimaced.   
“There’s soup in the kitchen if you’re feeling up to it.” He nodded. “I’ll go get you some.” Olivia stood from the couch and vanished into the kitchen; he groaned and slumped back into the mound of pillows. He’d brought Olivia back to his apartment, it was messy, he fell asleep and she tidied and cooked his dinner. Not how he’d imagined the first time inviting her back to his place; he’d hoped for more romance, candles and more than one bottle of wine Olivia had in a plastic bag. Unfortunately he hadn’t the nerve to ask her out and he feared he wasn’t interesting enough company to ask her over platonically. It wasn’t helping that she was being so sweet with him, so caring; gently touching his face, stroking his hair. He was already smitten, she was just pulling him in deeper. Olivia padded back into the room with a bowl and a spoon, Rafael sat up more and accepted them from her.  
“You’re not eating?” He mentally kicked himself, of course she wasn’t.  
“I already did, you were asleep for three hours. I cleaned up a little.”  
“Yes, I saw.”  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to offend you, I just assumed-“  
“No.” he interjected quickly “No, I’m very grateful, Liv, really thank you.”  
“Rafi, if you’re that sick you should have just asked for help.”  
“I’m not, I just have a tendency to wallow in self-pity.” He laughed and quickly filled his mouth with soup to avoid talking more. “This is really good.”  
“I’ll tell Google.” She smiled, standing. A little flicker of panic crossed his face and subsided once she moved a bunch of pillows out of the way and say back down. “I can leave if you want?”  
“N-no! I mean, I’m enjoying your company, it takes my mind off things.” He settled back into the pillows, handed Olivia the television remote and continued eating. Once he finished he placed the empty bowl on the table and fiddled with a pillow now that his hands weren’t occupied. Olivia was flicking aimlessly through channels, one arm stretched across the back of the sofa, he looked out the window at the dark sky covering the city- it was day light when he fell asleep. He was unsure of when she was leaving, she seemed settled in for the long haul; not that he wanted her to leave, but he could feel himself falling asleep and he knew he was a horrific snorer. He was sinking further into the couch as time went on, and shortly he was asleep again, snoring soft enough to go undetected by Olivia. It wasn’t until he slumped into her that she realised; his head fell into the crook of her neck and he turned unconsciously and flung his arm over her waist. It took all of her self-control not to laugh, it was adorable. She’d never seen him like this before, completely vulnerable and so defenceless; he seemed so small and soft without the cover of his sharp tongue, expensive suit and pristine hair. She decided she liked it; she brought her arm down from the back of the couch and wrapped it around him; it was only nine, she decided she’d wake him up in an hour or two in order to get him tucked up in bed.

Rafael’s snoring worsened the deeper in sleep he sank; Olivia only managed until ten before she decided she couldn’t deal with it any longer.   
“Rafi” She said softly, patting his arm. He didn’t stir, she shook him gently and said his name a little louder. He groggily raised his head and blinked, looking around with his eyebrows drawn together; he groaned loudly and buried his face in her collar.  
“I am so sorry.” He went to push himself up but Olivia kept rubbing her hand up and down his back, so he stayed put for several seconds.  
“It’s fine, really; kept me warm.” She laughed, he smiled and pushed himself up and dropped back into the pillows. “I thought I better wake you up, your back won’t like you if slept hear all night.” She stood and offered her hand to him; he took it and she pulled him to his feet, holding onto him as he swayed a little.  
“Thank you, you really didn’t have to do this.” He walked towards his bedroom and turned around when he heard footsteps following him. A smirk played at the corner of her mouth as she folded her arms.  
“It’s ten at night and you’re not going to offer me a bed for the night; Rafi, I was under the impression that you were a gentleman.” His mouth dropped open a little and he stared at her for an explanation, she laughed and looked to the ground. “You talk in your sleep.” His expression remained blank for several seconds and a flash of recognition crossed him and he put his hands over his face and groaned. Olivia smiled and approached him, placing a hand on either of his biceps, rubbing them up and down.  
“I can’t apologise enough, the last thing you need is to hear love confessions from a pathetic middle-aged man who can’t take care of himself.”  
“Rafi, I literally just invited myself into your bed. Believe me, if I thought you were a pathetic man-child I wouldn’t have.” she moved his hands from his face and urged him to make eye contact “you’re sick, I offered to take care of you; and it’s not because I don’t think you can’t take care of yourself. I care about you and I wanted to help.” She leaned in and kissed his forehead; his eyes closed at the contact and he sighed through his nose, Olivia pulled him into a hug and he wrapped his arms around her in turn. She pressed another kiss to the top of his hair before burying her face in his hair; a tear escaped his eye and he tried to discretely tried to wipe it away but Olivia caught him. “What are you crying about?” She smiled, wiping the tear away with her thumb; he laughed and looked away.  
“Nothing, I’m sick, shut up.” He laughed, tears still rolling down his cheeks.  
“You’re a mess.” She laughed; he did too but the tears came out heavier, she held him until the tears stopped.  
“I think you need to get to sleep. I need to borrow something to sleep in.” He sniffled and led her by the hand into his bedroom; she rubbed her thumb in circles on his hand. He let go of her and fished a shirt and pair of shorts from a drawer and handed them to her. She started unbuttoning her shirt and he immediately looked away, red seeping into his face. “You can look if you want, Rafi.” He hesitated for a few beats before turning around; she’d stood and had already shrugged off her shirt, she pulled Rafael’s shirt on and buttoned a few of the bottom buttons. She shed her trousers and quickly stepped into the shorts. “Are you going to get ready or just stand there?” He shook his head and unbuttoned his jeans, and dropped them into the washing basket, keeping his boxers on. Olivia walked over and grabbed the hem of his sweater and pulled it over his head. He bent down to get a t-shirt from the drawers, Olivia admired the gentle curve of his hips and stomach as he straightened back out. “I can undress myself, I’m not completely useless.” She wiped the tears from his face again and pressed a quick kiss to his nose; he froze, a blush spreading across his face.  
“Yeah, but I figured you needed a little help.” She pulled back the covers on the bed and crawled across the bed to the side where he clearly didn’t sleep; Rafael climbed in beside her and Olivia pulled the covers over both of them.  
“Really, thank you, Liv; I needed this.” He didn’t meet her eyes as he took her hand; she smiled and pulled him into her and wrapped her arms around him, he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck.  
“It’s okay.” She kissed his hair again and settled against him. “Goodnight, Rafi.”  
“Please stop calling me that. Goodnight, Liv.”


End file.
